Combined container and measuring spout



July 5, 1960 M. H. KLAusMANN ETAL 2,943,769

COMBINED CONTAINER AND MEASURING SPOUT Filed March 15. 1957 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Afro/mer M. H. KLAUSMANN Er AL 2,943,769

COMBINED CONTAINER AND NEAsuRING sPouT Filed March 15. 1957 July 5, 19602 Sheets-Sheet 2 f4 J/YVENWRS.' r JYZ/zan f/JlauS/mfm Henry J.'Brac/Yer; Raymam 2? V27/L Cun By; y M A ATTORNEY UnitedStates f'2,943,162 t A COMBINED coNTAnsERnND sPoUI Milton H. Klausmann,Summit,I-Ienry Brocken Spring- 'ield,fand Raymond P. Von lCulin,Far'Hills, NJ., as-

signorsto Seal-spout Corporation, a v'corporation of New Jersey ruesMar. 1s, 1'9's1`,*ser.'No. 646,341

r:z claims. (client- 364) .spout which shall be .simple and relatively`.inexpensive and which shall provide for easy and rapid insertion of.the spout into the `discharge aperture -of thelcontainer. Anotherobject is to provide a novel and improved -combination of a containerand .a measuring spout .wherein the portion of the wall of the container'that is displaced to yform the .discharge aperture shall ,be utilizedas a partof themeasuring spout.

Still another object of the rinvention :is to provide such a combination`of -a `container ,and .a spout wherein the spout. may. be easily,quickly and selectively adapteddor either pouring the contents of the:container 4through `the discharge aperturein a continuous streamer for.dis- `charging the container contents in'measured quantities. Otherobjects, advantages and resultsof the invention will be brought'out bythe follow-ingdescription"inacou-` junction with the accompanyingdrawingsyin which:

,Figure l is a fragmentary perspective'view ofzfa-:com-

bined container and measuring -spout embody-ing the invention,illustratingv the spout in closed position;

.Figure '2 iis va similar view showing the :spout in :open

position ior the'discharge of a :measured `quantity Aof the containercontents; e

Figure ,3 ,is a 'fragmentary vert-ical sectional :viewap- ,proximatelyon the plane of the Vline 3-3 lot' Figure l;

Figure 4 is a 'similar view y'on the plane lot the line .4--4 'of Figure`2;

Figure f5 is a similarto .Figure 3 showing the lspout .lled with the.container contents preparatory to openingthe spout for the dischargeofa measured quantity of said contents;

, Y Y 2 .Figure 14 is a vertical sectional viewon the -plane ofthelineldll of Figure l2.

for the purpose of illustrating the principles ot the in- `volition, .we.have shown it in'connection with .a container .and pouring spout of`the general type shown lin Patent No. 2,01 11,434, dated August .13,1955, but it Should be understood that .the invention may be embodied inother types of containers and spoute.

VSpecifically describing the .illustrated embodiment of @the invention,.the .reference character A designates vthe lbody portion .of acontainer which vis formed of any suitable vmaterial .such .ascardboard, berboard or the like and .has one Wall, preferably althoughnot necessarily, a iside wall `1 provided with a` substantiallyrectangular dischargeaperture Zjand a correspondingly shaped tongue .P3.integrally connected with` said lwall at one end of said aperture asindicated at 3' for hinging movement into and out .of the aperture Vfora Ipurpose to be'described'.

Cooperating with the container A isa pouring spout Bvconnected to thewall 1 at vone end of the .opening so as to overlie and .close saidopen-ing when `in one ,position and to uncover or open .said openingwhen in another position. The spout .is preferably .formed of thin sheetmetal Ylient upon itself totorrn a liat body portion 4 and sector shapedside 'walls Sat the side edgesof said body portion ,that have arcuateouter edges tY concentric with the of swinging ofthe spout. The .spoutis ofthe saine width .as the aperture or opening 2 so as tovfrictionally vengage the outer faces of the side walls 5 with the side.edgesof the aperture, and the body portion 4 [has an extension vf8vbeyond the .corresponding end of the aperture for a Vpurpose `to beexplained. The spout may .be tingedly-.connected to `the wall in anysuitablemanner,

"but as shown, a pair of prongs or teeth 9 project kfrom the bodyPortion 4 through .the .tongue 3 adjacent the `hinge point 3. thereofandare bent or clinched so as vto permit swinging movement .of the spoutand tongue and at .the same Itime .prevent Athe spout from being pulledout .ofthe .dischargeaperture or .opening '2. As jusual,

the .outer .ends ofthe side walls'orwings 5 are provided with ,lugs 1.0toengage .the inside of the wall 1 for preventing `swinging movement .of'the spout outwardly of the opening, .the extension Q8 movement of .thespout l'in the other direction, -Also preferably the wings 5 .are.,providedwith .outwardly projecting protuberances .1l yto reng'a'ge'the .inner Vside l.of the wall '1 when the spout is elosed ,aslshown .in Figure 3, toreleasably hold the spout in .closed position.

.' '.In applying the spout 4to the container, the side walls y 5 'areslipped throughthe slots formed between the side .edges of the aperture.and .the edges of the tongue 3, and

.Figure 16 is -a view similar to Figure 5 showing Athe Y .spout 'inpartially open or 4discharging positionj :Figure 7 vis asimilar viewshowing thespout :in com- 'pletelyfopen or-discharginglpos'ition;

`Figure 8 is an enlarged izragmenta'ry sectional view `spout adapted:for pouring of the container contents; ,Figure 10'is a view similart'oFigure .4 .showing ythe :spout rof Figure 9.in:.completelyopen orpouring iposition;

Figure 1l is iaV view similar to Figure :1. '.showinga modilica'tion ofthe spout .and its :attachment toth'e container;

theflinell--l tofl-Tigurel 1; and

A D .spout are swung .inwardly until the extension S of the-appro1umately`on the plane `of the-line S-'Sifof Figure '3; bodyportion lies .'at against the Wall 1, the aperture 2 .the spout is thenplaced over the tongue with the body portion 'overlying .the outer faceof the tongue and the ,side `wal-ls '5 engaging the side .edges `of theaperture 2.

Y .The -body portion 4 is then secured tothe tongue by forcin g therprongs through ythe tongue and clinching theml as shown .inFigures 2, 4and 5 to vpositively connect the tongue vand the spout .together andprevent relative'movernentyordisplacement thereof. When :the tongue andis closed, the side walls S seal the edges thereof by friction andtheextension 8 engages the Vwall to seal the corresponding end of theaperture and 'at the same time ,serves as a stop -to limit ,furtherYmovement .lof the spout Preferably .the tongue 3 is so formed that aportion 12 of the wall ofthe container opposite the hinged end of ftheaperture `at which the spout is hinged, is -disposed -ibetween the .sidewalls 5 to hold Asaid Walls apart and in .ifrictional-engagement lwiththe -side edges of the aperture.

In accordance with the invention, the tongue 3 comprises a part of thespout to form a measuring pocket C for discharging measured quantitiesof the contents D of the container. As shown, the tongue 3 is bentY outof the general plane of the wall 1 Vof the container and has its freeend connected to the side walls or anges of the spout as shown inFigures 2, 3 and 4. Various forms of connection between the .tongue andthe spout may be utilized but preferably and inexpensively each ange 5.may have portions 13 stamped or pressed inwardly thereof inspacedrelation to each other to serve as abutments for and to receivebetween them the corresponding edge portion of the tongue 3 as shown inFigures 3 and 8. After the body portion of the spout has been connectedto the container wall, the tongue 3 may be swung inwardly of thecontainer and its edges may be snapped into position between thecorresponding abutments 13. Thereafter, the tongue 3 will swing with thebody portion and wings of the spout between the open and closedpositions of the spout as shown in Figures 3 and 4. Y

In use of the invention, when it is desired to dispense or discharge apredetermined quantity of the contents of *contents in the measuringpocket and limit the ow of the container contents into the pocket andthereby insure that only a predetermined quantity of the contents shallbe deposited in 'the pocket. After the spout hasv been moved to its openor discharge position as shown in Figure 7, the container and spout canbe tilted in such a way as to cause the container contents to ilow bygravity out of the measuring pocket in the spout after which the spoutcan be pushed back into the container to close the discharge aperture asshown in Figure 3.

Figures 9 and, 10 show the spout adapted for pouring the containercontents through the discharge openingin a continuous streaminstead ofdischarging the container contents Vin measuring quantities. Here thetongue `3 is disconnected fromvthe abutments 13'and swung forwardly intoflatwise abutting relation Yto the body portion 4 of the spout so thatthe. contents of the container Vcan l l freely ow outwardly ofthedischarge aperture and over `the tongue 3 from the spout; desirablyinwardly extending Yinvention in which the spout is connected to thecontainer in a different manner. Here the prongs project from the end ofthe body portion of the spout E instead of from the body portion atpoints in spaced relation to said end and the spout swings about theprongs 14 as'hinges in contrast to the swinging or bending of the tonguein the form of the invention shown in Figures 1 to 10 inelusive. Theprongs penetrate the wall 15 of the con--r tainer and are then curvedlybent along the inside of Vsaid wall as best shown in'Figures 13 and 14so that the prongs may swing in the apertures' formed by them in thecontainer wall. This form of the invention permits the body portion ofthe spout to be made smallerl andi also permits the free end of thetongue 16, which corre sponds to the tongue 3, to snugly engage the edgeof the lportion 17 of the container wall, corresponding to the `portion1,2, that is disposed between the 4langes or side walls of the spout, asshown in Figure 14, thereby posiV a tively preventing the contents ofthe container from escap ing between the tongue and the portion 17 whenthe con- 4 l tainer contents are being discharged from the spout, asshown in Figure 14.

It will be observed that in all forms of the invention, the spoutcomprises a plurality of wall portions 3, 4 and 5, and that one of saidwall portions, i.e., the tongue 3, comprises a part of theLcontainervwall that is displaced to form the discharge aperture. p

Other lmodifications intheform of the spout and of its connection to thecontainer will occur to those skilled in the art as within the spiritand scope of the invention. Forexample, the spout might be hinged to thecontainer wall by a pivot pin or staple as shown in Patent No.

"edges, a spout comprising a body portion overlying the outer side ofsaid tongue hingedly connected at one end to said wall ladjacent thehinging of said tongue to open and close said aperture and with one endportion adapted to project beyond said free end edge of said tongue andthe other end of said aperture for engagement Awith said wall in theclosed position of the spout to limit closing movement of the spout andto seal said outer end of said aperture, sector-shaped side walls onsaid body portion having their outer facesfrictionally engaging the sideedges o-f said aperture to seal said edges in the closed position ofsaid spout and whose arcuate edges are concentric with said axis ofhinging of said body portion with free space between them, said tonguebeing disposed in said free space between said side walls with each ofits opposite side edges in abutting relation to oneside wall, and meansconnecting said tongue to said side walls in angular relation to` saidbody portion with hthe free end of the tongue in spaced relation vtosaid bodyrportion, thereby providing a measuring pocket whose wallsconstitute said tongue, said side walls and said body --portion of the'spout.

2.' The combination of a container Ahaving a substantiallyrectangulardischarge aperture 'in one wall thereof, land'a tongue that comprisesthe part of said wall that was displaced to form said aperture Iand i sintegrally hingedlyconnected at on'epend to said wall at one end 0f theaperture for swinging movement into and out of said aperture and has afree end edge andvopposite side -edges, a spout comprising Va bodyportion overlying the vouter side of said tongue hingedly connected atone end to said wall adjacent the hinging of said tongue to open andclose said aperture and with one end portion adapted to projectbeyondsaid free end edge of said tongue and the other end of said aperture forengagement with said ,wall in the closed position of the spout to limitclosing movement of the spout and to seal said outer end of saidaperture, sector-shaped side Walls on said body portion havingtheirouter faces =frictionally engaging the side edges of said aperture toseal said edges in the closed position of said spoutV and whose arcuateedges are con- .centric withrsaid axis of hinging` of said body portionwith free space between them, said tongue being disposed in said freespace between said side walls with each of its opposite side edges inrelatively slidable abutting relation to one'side wall, and means'releasably connecting said tongue to said. sidelwalls in angularrelation to said body portion with the =free end of the tongue in-spaced relation to said body portion, thereby providing v a measuringpocket vwhose walls constitute said tongue,

said side walls and said body portion of the spout, and means toreleasably connect said tongue to said side walls in ilatwise abuttingrelation to' said body portion Y 5 of the spout, whereby. said tongueselective1y may be disposed in angular relation to said body portion ofthe spout to provide a measuring pocket or may be held in flatwiseabutting relation to said body portion to provide for pouring of acontinuous stream of the package contents through the spout.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITEDSTATES PATENTS1,411,000 condon Mar. z8, 192,2v

5 Rickets Mar. 1, 1927 Smith Apr. 23, 1929 Howard Apr. 1, 1930 GarfeinOct. 29, 1935 Sebreny Feb. 2, 1937 Peneld Sept. 16, 1952 YDes RosiersMar. 16, 1954

